Condition controller



June4, 1940. N AoMETZGER .Y 2,203,631

CONDITION CONTROLLER Filed Aug. 24, 1938 Normali@ a MMM Patented June fi, 1940 CONDITION CONTROLLER Norman A. Metzger, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application August 24, 1938, Serial No. 226,595

2 Claims.

I'his invention relates to condition controllers and more particularly to condition controllers of the type which are adapted for automatic adjustment or for adjustment from a remote point.

In the art of automatic control of-temperature or other conditions within buildings it has become common to provide for varying the temperature maintained within a room or space in accordance with outside temperature or other conditions. For example, in summer air conditioning work it has been found desirable to raise the standard of temperature maintained within a conditioned space in accordance with rise in outside tempera-4 ture. This requires adjustment of the thermostat controlling the space temperature` in accordance with outside temperature. One manner of accomplishing this result is by the provi sion of a motor adjacent the thermostat for mechanically shifting the thermostat adjusting device. Arrangements of this type have been quite satisfactory for thermostats which are located outside ofthe conditioned space such as in return air duets for in such locations, appearance of the instrument is not an important factor. However in the past when an adjusting motor has been applied to a space thermostat, the result has been a rather cumbersome and unsightly appearing instrument. Y

It is an object of this invention to provide a condition controller which is adapted to be located in a space to be controlled and which may be automatically adjusted or adjusted from a remote point, which is small and attractive in appearance.

More speciiically it is an object of this invention to provide a space condition controller having a motor device for varying the adjustment thereof, and in which the motor device is located in a space within the wall upon which the in-V strument is mounted for thereby providing an instrument which is small and attractive appearing from its exterior.

Other objects will appear from the following description and th`e appended claims.

For a full disclosure of this invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and to `theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of the improved instrument, taken on line I'I of Figure 2.'

Figure 2 is a front elevation with the cover removed, and

Figure 3 is a part sectional view showing the air connections for the instrument.

Referring now to Figure 1 reference character I indicates a wall box'for mounting within an opening 2 in the wall 3 upon which the instru-- ment is mounted. The wall box I is provided with an upwardly extending ear 4 and with a downwardly extending flange 5 having therein an 5 opening 6. This box is secured to the wall by means of screws 'l and 8. Mounted upon the wall box I is a base plate 9 which is secured to the wall box by means of screws I0 and Il. The screw II, it will be noted, is received in an ex l0 tension member I2 which is secured to the rear face of the wall box I. v

Mounted upon the base plate 9 is a thermostat base member I3 which is provided with flanges I4 and I5, this base member being secured to the l5 base' plate 9 by means of screws I8, I'I, and I8. This base member I3supports a hard rubber tube type thermostatic element I9 which is fitted with a, plug member at its top which carries an adjusting screw 2U. This adjusting screw 2u has go a portion 2l extending within the thermostatic element I9 and also carries a drum type dial 22 for indicating the temperature setting ofthe instrument.

Mounted upon the base member I3 and located 25 within the thermostatic element I9 is an upstanding member 23 which carries a leak port of nozzle 24. 'Ihis member 23 also supports a spring hinge in temperature surrounding the thermostatic 35 element I9, this element will contract which causes downward movement of its upper end and the adjusting screw 2l. 'I'his in turn forces the member 21 downwardly thereby rocking the apper valve 26 to the right thus shifting it away lo from the leak port 24, and allowing air to leak to atmosphere. Upon an increase in temperature opposite movement of the parts will take place for causing the ilapper valve 26 to approach the leak port'24. I

The base member I3 is provided with passages 30, 3|, and 32. These passages are connected by means of a fitting 33 to an air supply line 34,

`branch line 35, and a master control line .36,

these lines extending through the opening 3 50 in the extension 5 of the wall box member I. 'Ihe passages 30 and 3| are connected together by a cross passage 31 which is also connected to-a passage 38 leading to the leak port 24. This passage 31 also accommodates a restriction screw 65 adjusting screw 20.

5 and branch line 35, the pressure in the branch line 35 is caused'to vary in accordance with changes in temperature at the thermostat. No novelty is claimed in the particular type thermostat illustrated for this type of thermostat is well l known in the art.

Located within the wall box l is an adjusting ,lmotor device consisting of a, bellows 55 which is mounted upon a bracket member i secured to the rear face of the base plate 9 by means ci lo screws 42 and d3. This bracket member @l contains an air passage 44 communicating with the interior of the bellows 40 and with a tube 55 leading to the base member I3 and communicating with the passage 32 therein. As shown the 20 tube 45 is secured to the base member i3 by means of a clamping member 45. In this manner the interior of the bellows 40 communicates with the master control line 36, and changes in pressure within this control line will be communi- 25 cated to the interior of the bellows.

The bellows 4l) actuates a lever member 41 which is pivoted at 48 between extensions 49 forming a part oi the base plate S. The lever member 41 includes a portion 50 which carries 30 an adjusting screw 5l adapted for engagement with the head 52 of the bellows 40. The lever member 41 also is provided with a portion 53 which extends forwardly and through an opening 54 in the base plate 9. The portion 53 co- 5'5 operates with a pair of stop screws 55 and 56 whichvare carried by ears 51 and 58 formed integrally with the base plate 9. It will be apparent that the stop screws 55 and 56 determine the limits of movement of the lever member 41. The lever member 41 also is provided with a second forward extension 60 which is located on the opposite side of the instrument and which extends through an opening 5l in the base plate 9 and is secured to a spring 52 attached to an ear 53 forming part of the base plate. This spring 52 urges the lever member Si? in a clockwise direction thereby tending to collapse the bellows 40. By this arrangement when the air pressure within the bellows fill is zero the spring will rotate the lever member lli-1 for causing the portion 53 to engage the stop screw 55. When maximum air pressure is applied to the bellows 5U, this bellows will rotate the lever member 51 against the action of spring 52 until the portion 53 engages the stop screw 55. For intermediate values of pressure applied to the vbellows 4D the lever member 4l will assume intermediate positions between these two extreme positions.

60 The lever member 51 also is provided with an upstanding extension 65 which is attached by a pin 56 to a link 61 which extends forwardly through an opening 6B in the base plate 9 and is attached to a lever arm 59 which rotates the 'I'his link 61 may be attached to the lever arm 59 by means of a pin carried' by the link and spring member 1l which is also carried by this link. It will be apparent that rotation of the lever member 41 due 70 to expansion or contraction of the bellows 40 will rotate the lever arm 69 and thus the adjusting screw 20. For instance upon an increase in pressure applied to the bellows 40, the lever member 41 will be rotated counter-clockwise 75 about its pivot which pulls the link 61 to the left as seen in Figure 1 and rotates the adjusting screw 20 in a direction for raising the control point of the instrument. If desired the lever .arm 63 may be provided with a plurality of holes for receiving the pin 1li of connecting link 61. This arrangement provides for ready adjustment of the variation in control range for a given change in pressure within the bellows 40.

The instrument may be provided with the usual cover which is secured to the base plate by means of screws i5 and 11 threaded in ears I8 and 15 forming a part of the base plate. This cover 15 may include the usual slots 80 for pei'- mitting the passage of air in contact with the thermostatic element, and also may be provided with a Window 5i for indicating the setting of the thermostat.

While the drawing illustrates the instrument designed in a manner to cause rise in control point upon increase in applied pressure from the master control line,4 it will be apparent that by changing the position of the portion 55 of lever 41, or by utilizing a reversely threaded adjusting screw 25 the control point can be caused to lower upon increase in applied pressure.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a space condition controller which is adapted for automatic adjustment or for adjustment from a remote point, and which by concealment of the adjusting motor in the wall behind the instrument presents a very neat and attractive appearing exterior. As various modications which are within the scope of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art I desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended-claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A space condition controller adapted for mounting upon a wall, comprising a wall box occupying an opening in said wall, said wall box having an open side positioned substantially hush with the Wall surface, a base member mounted upon the wall, said base member at least partly covering the open side of said Wall box and being secured to said Wall box, a condition responsive element mounted upon said base member on the side thereof remote from said wall box so as to be exposed to the air in said space, a control device actuated by said condition pensive element, said. element and said conL l device cooperating to form an automatic trolier for maintaining a predetermined standard of the cond' on in the space in which the controller is locat adjusting means for varying the standard of the condition maintained by said controller, motor means mounted upon the other side of the base member and in said wall box. and connecting means extending vfrom said motor means laterally of said base member to said adjusting .nieans for thereby providing actuation of said adjusting means by said motor means.

2. A space condition controller adapted for mounting upon a wall,` comprising a wall box occupying an opening in said wall, said wall box having an open side positioned substantially flush with the wall surface, a base member mounted upon the wall, said base member at least partly covering the open side of said wall box and being secured to said wall box, a condition responsive element mounted upon said base member on the side thereof remote from said wall box so as to be exposed to the air in said space, a control valve mounted upon said base member, a lever mechanism between said lil element and said control valve whereby said control valve is actuated by said condition responsive element, said element, said lever mechanism and said control valve forming an automatic condition controller for maintaining a predetermined standard of the condition in the space in which the controller is located, adjustv ing means for adjusting the standard of the condition maintained by said controller, an expansible and contractibie diaphragm mounted on said base member andiocated in said wall box, and connecting means actuated by said diaphragm and extending from the interior of said wall box laterally of said base member to said adjusting means for actuating said adjusting means.

NORMAN A. METZGER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. n

June h., lQLLO.

Patent No. 2,205,651.

- NORMAN A'. METZGER'.

It is hereby certified that errorappears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 52, claim l, before "controller" insert -condition; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same `may conform `to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 50th day ofV July, A. D. 19m.

Henry Van Arsdale {Seal} Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

